For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…  – Romans 1:16

In 2007, I traveled on my first overseas missions trip with JSMI to South Africa.  We conducted ministry in the Squatter Camps of Zansperts and Diepsloot.  It was a remarkable experience.  I will never forget the kids that literally followed our group wherever we went.  We saw 8,523 salvations, and over 500 healings.  Glory to God!

One experience that sticks out for me was when I had the opportunity to go inside a day care, and prayed with the kids to make Jesus their personal Lord and Savior.  It was such a precious moment, and God’s heart is that no one be seperated from Him.

One night during the evening crusade, a mother came with her daughter who could not walk or talk on her own.  Jesus healed her!  By the time the meeting was over, the  little girl was skipping over puddles, and also said “Mama”!  Her mother couldn’t stop crying and praising Jesus!

During one day of street ministry, we came across a woman had to use crutches because of a car accident that injured her leg and foot.  She received Jesus into her heart, and received her healing.  She threw down those crutches, and ran up and down the street praising Jesus!

On another day of street ministry we came across a woman with blurred vision.  We prayed with her for healing, and started to test her vision.  There was no change.  I then prayed with an elderly man who had a disfigured hip.  There was no immediate change, but I told him to continue to have faith for his healing, and to believe even by the time he arrived home his leg would be whole.  I went back to see what was going on with the woman with blurry vision, and as she was looking around, our eyes met, and her face lit up.  She was able to see me clearly and her vision was much improved!  Praise God!  After that, the elderly man came back walking better, and wanted to tell us that he was healed!

These were just some of the amazing stories from South Africa.  We know personally that these camps were changed forever by the power of God, and it changed each of us as well.  God is so good!!

Video from the South Africa trip:

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About South Africa

South Africa is located at the southern tip of Africa bordered by the Atlantic and Indian oceans.  It has a population of 50 million, and has the largest economy in Africa.  Dutch traders landed in what is modern day South Africa in 1652 and established a stopover point on the spice route between the Netherlands and the East, founding the city of Cape Town. After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own republics.

The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments but were defeated in the Boer War (1899-1902); however, the British and the Afrikaners, as the Boers became known, ruled together under the Union of South Africa.

In 1948, the National Party was voted into power and instituted a policy of apartheid – the separate development of the races. The first multi-racial elections in 1994 brought an end to apartheid and ushered in black majority rule under the African National Congress (ANC).

South Africa is known for a diversity in cultures, languages, and religious beliefs. Eleven official languages are recognized in the constitution.English is the most commonly spoken language in official and commercial public life; however, it is only the fifth most-spoken home language.South Africa is ethnically diverse, with the largest European, Indian, and racially mixed communities in Africa. Although 79.5% of the South African population is

Black,the people are from a variety of ethnic groups speaking different Bantu languages, nine of which have official status.About a quarter of the population is unemployedand lives on less than US$ 1.25 a day, and the average life expectancy is only 50 years of age.  Other problems are crime, corruption, and HIV/AIDS.